5th Passenger (2017) **

Source: Imdb

This space flick about a marooned escape pod was not quite as bad as its Imdb-rating implied, but not much better either. I expected much more of a project that managed to attracted not one, not two, but three huge Star Trek alumni names: Tim Russ, Armin Shimerman and Marina Sirtis, the latter of whom only had a small role, as well as Doug Jones of STD and a few others. Is suppose that the script wasn’t that bad. Sure, it played with a few age-old tropes, but it did have a surprising and interesting twist. Then again, the two-class system that kept being thrown into the audience's faces had a lot more potential than just as a tool to create more tension between the survivors of the initial shipwreck - but this potential remained tragically unused.

The characters were superficial and comical. The acting was generally horrendous. For the Star Trek actors, it felt like they were trying to deliver as per the contract, but the overall quality of the production was just too horrible and cheap to turn their contributions into anything good. The visuals were summarily terrible. Sub-par animations and CGI, ridiculous creature animation (looked like some trashy 80ies horror film), bad sets etc. The whole thing looks like one of those fan films.

But, despite everything , it managed to keep me more engaged than many other films I’ve seen, and the plot, though it seemed generic, was somewhat interesting. They deserve a 2/5.

PS: Herman Wilkes has an unreal voice. O.O

5th Passenger on Imdb

Dark Waters (2019) ***

Source: Imdb

Another one of those movies that demonstrate the evil of big US corporations, following the struggle against DuPont knowingly poisoning humankind for profit by using legal loopholes in corporate-friendly US legislation. The script did a good job at illustrating this impossible up-hill battle akin to fighting a dragon with a toothpick, dragging the audience along through decades of fighting. It’s shocking to see the year date creep on and move ever closer to the present day – and indeed, this story reveals itself not to be just a horror story of the many corporate crimes committed last century, but something that is still haunting us today, and will continue to do so.

I just thought that, as much as I like Mark Ruffalo, he was not the right choice as a lead in this role. He is just too soft, too teddybear-like at his core and that bleeds into his character and just makes him not credible as a (former) corporate defence lawyer. Overall, the cast was ok, though. I particularly liked the prominent cameos of some of the people whose story this film is telling.

The technical execution was no-frills, though the cinematographer tried to get some unconventional shots going to break up the monotony of the colour pallet and the endless, grinding monotony of the sets. But really, apart from the hilariously badly animated cow, the visuals fit the atmosphere.

Anyway, I expected the subject matter to be presented with a bit more tension. 3/5

Dark Waters on Imdb

Deepwater Horizon (2016) ****

Source: Imdb

I honestly thought this drama about the great oil disaster of 2010 would be totally lame, but this was really well done, especially from a technical perspective, and with great acting, too. The script was just a bit aimless and it remained unclear what the point of the story was going to be, even when the action really started in the second half. Was it the saving of the crew? The evacuation? The extinction of the fire? The clean-up? The trial? The end point of the movie could have been any of those, but the fact that I didn’t really know somewhat flattened the tension arch and left the actual ending feeling somehow lose, hanging in the air with so much more story to tell. Also, a thing I found not credible at all was that the people indoors (i.e. in the workshop, in the shower or on the bridge) would not feel (and hear) the vibrations and the massive jolts from the explosions going on, and thus be utterly blindsided by the chaos. Even on large ships, you can feel big waves. This was so much more! So I would say that's a major flaw in the script.

I was really surprised by the acting in this film. Everybody, down to the last supporting cast member, was just extremely competent and gave really natural, visceral performances. With Mark Wahlberg as the lead, as well as John Malkovich and Kurt Russell in the wings, this had some names attached to it, and with good reason: what looks like a cheap straight-to-DVD project at first glance is actually a serious production about corporate greed and irresponsible money-grabbing with total disregard for human life and the environment (though I did feel that the environmental aspect was not expanded on nearly enough).

Visually, this was also executed by a team who knew their stuff. Make-up and prosthetics were excellent, making any injuries really cringy. CGI on the fire and explosions  looked very convincing, as did the practical effects. The power of the elements was almost palpable and the actors brilliantly communicated the devastating helplessness when confronted with them. Editing seemed a bit slower than on other action movies I have seen, but in my view this served to emphasise the shock state people are in. Good choice! Everything was topped off by a magnificent score by Steve Jablonsky that blended in perfectly with the atmosphere.

All in all, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. It was nail-biting and captivating, dramatic and horrifying. 4/5

Deepwater Horizon on Imdb

Ad Astra (2019) ****

 

Source: Imdb

This sifi drama about a man on a mysterious mission to find his father was seriously better than I expected, even though it was a bit shallow and all-over-the-place. In essence, it seemed to be a metaphysical story at its core, but covered in layers of random concepts. There was the science angle, the action angle, an element of horror etc.... basically, another one of those movies that can’t seem to decide on a genre and how to trim down a script to something polished and truly meaningful. Clearly a very ambitious beginner's piece, though a better attempt than most I've recently seen. 

But underneath all that, the film appeared to be mostly about interpersonal relationships, dealing with trauma, misunderstandings and rejection, as well as finding your purpose in life (so again, a bit unfocused; a bit of everything). It did remind me of 2001: Space Odyssee, though far more engaging.

Brad Pitt gave an excellent performance, offering surprising insights into the character he portrayed and uncovering his psyche bit by bit – the vulnerable and damaged core of him. This led to a few truly touching scenes, startling in their unexpectedness, and made for an interesting journey through discovering what his motives were all about.

The visuals seemed to be on a budget, but I guess I’m spoiled after watching “Apollo 13” with its unrivalled Zero-G shots. Anyway, they did not try very hard in this movie to show the weightlessness of space, or the reduced gravity of different celestial bodies. Overall, there seemed to be much less CGI in this than in the average space movie, as they were mostly doing close-ups of the actor(s) and shots of minimal sets. The colour pallet and lighting helped with keeping the effort minimal as well. Everything was beautifully framed by a sweeping and atmospheric score by Max Richter. They could have picked a better editor, though. I'm sure Brad Pitt didn't need that much help.

Overall, an interesting movie, though not nearly as deep as it may seem at first glance. Still, I’m feeling generous and giving 4/5 as I feel this may develop significantly on the re-watch.

Ad Astra on Imdb

Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Portrait of a lady on fire) (2019)***

Source: Imdb

This drama about a fateful love story between a painter and her subject was not what I expected. It was basically “Call me by your name” with ladies. Though they did have a carefully composed script that moved at a steady pace, it was a bit slow for me, which took out a lot of the potential tension. The acting was great, though, once I got used to Noémie Merante looking like a cross between Emma Watson and Kristen Steward. Director Celine Sciamma really gave her leads plenty of time to unfold their performances, providing unusually long shots throughout most of the film with very little editing.

The whole film was comprised of carefully composed frames with an eye for colour, lighting and composition. Like in “The Danish Girl”, the colour palette was probably chosen to underline the emotional stages of the characters, providing muted pastels for a sad, melancholic vibe and only introducing brighter shades gradually.

It strikes me that they did not use any score for the entire film. There are only three instances where music is heard, and that is all part of the action. Strangely, I did not miss the score at all. The actresses were doing such a fantastic job that I didn’t need music to communicate their emotions, or the emotions of a scene to me. Their reactions were beautiful, especially considering the long takes they had to fill, so kudos for that.

Though I would probably be bored watching this a second time, knowing what happens, I’d still give it a 3/5.

Portrait of a lady on fire on Imdb